Harper passing the buck to Wright

Re: “Stephen Harper says vast majority of PMO staff didn’t know about Mike Duffy payment,” Aug. 14.

Stephen Harper has responded to questions about the Mike Duffy affair with a dismissive comment that “you hold people responsible for their own actions.”

Whatever happened to “the buck stops here,” or to the parliamentary tradition that ministers of the Crown, like Harper, took responsibility for the actions of the people working for them, like Nigel Wright?

It seems that Harper wanted something done — having someone put an end to the embarrassing Duffy affair — and one of his subordinates has been caught in a scheme to accomplish that aim. Yet, Harper takes no responsibility for that subordinate’s action.

It sure must be fun working in the PMO with that kind of support from your boss. C. R. Ford, Calgary

JUSTIN TANG/ THE CANADIAN PRESS Nigel Wright, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, arrives at the courthouse in Ottawa to testify about his role in the Mike Duffy scandal. A reader says Harper has failed to take responsibility for Wright’s actions.